Page 102 of The Orc's Captive Bride
“Yes.”
“Lasseran will be furious.”
“He’ll be murderous.”
“And we’ll be hunted.”
“For the rest of our lives, probably.”
She was quiet for a moment, but then squared her shoulders and rose to her feet. His brave little scholar.
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
Relief flooded through him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d feared she would refuse.
“We need to move fast,” he said. “Gather only what you absolutely need. The texts that are essential to your research. Anything else is dead weight.”
“What about supplies? Food? Money?”
“I have contacts. People who owe me favors. We can get supplies before we leave the city.”
“You’ve been planning this.”
“I’ve been preparing for contingencies. There’s a difference.”
She moved to the desk and started sorting through the scrolls and books she’d accumulated.
“This one,” she muttered. “Definitely this one. And these three. No, four. And—” She paused and looked at him. “I can’t carry all of this.”
“I can.”
“Khorrek, there’s at least twenty pounds of parchment here, and I need to get more from the library.”
“I’ve carried worse.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Thea. I once hauled a full-grown stag ten miles through mountain terrain. I think I can manage your research materials.”
“Right. Of course.” She went back to sorting. “Sorry. I’m just?—”
“Nervous.”
“Terrified, actually.”
“That’s sensible. This is terrifying.”
“You’re not helping.”
“Would you prefer I lie?”
“Maybe a little.”
He moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “We’re going to get through this. I promise.”
She leaned back into him. “You can’t promise that.”
“I can promise I’ll do everything in my power to make it true.”
